U.S. Senator Jack Reed this week introduced legislation in Washington to reduce the rate of drug overdose deaths by improving access to naloxone, a drug that counters the effects of opiod overdose.

Lynn Arditi Journal staff writer lynnarditi

U.S. Senator Jack Reed this week introduced legislation in Washington to reduce the rate of drug overdose deaths by improving access to naloxone, a drug that counters the effects of opiod overdose.

The Overdose Prevention Act would authorize the federal Department of Health and Human Services to award funding through cooperative agreements with eligible entities, such as public health agencies or community-based organizations which have expertise in preventing overdose deaths.

The organizations would be required to use the grant to purchase and distribute naloxone and carry out overdose prevention activities, such as educating prescribers and pharmacists and training first responders and others to recognize and respond to overdoses.

Drug overdose death rates in the U.S. have more than tripled since 1990, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rhode Island ranks among the highest in the country for illicit drug use per capita, non-medical use of prescription pain relievers, and per capita overdose deaths. During the first three months of 2014 alone, more than 70 Rhode Islanders died of overdoses.

“The Overdose Prevention Act will establish a comprehensive national response to this epidemic,’’ Reed said in a statement. “It emphasizes collaboration between state and federal officials and employs best practices from the medical community. And it invests in programs and treatments that have been proven effective to combat this startling national trend.”